


a time for...

by gudetama (elementary)



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M, Post-Canon, contemplating life, idk - Freeform, very briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-28 18:24:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20971019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elementary/pseuds/gudetama
Summary: Percival thinks his life fine the way it is, and Newt wants him to get on a boat.





	a time for...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AntiGravitas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntiGravitas/gifts).

> For AG who prompted Gramander + autumn and I threw up a something vaguely resembling it. Happy birthday, hope you have a good one!

The first sign of autumn brings dry eyes and sore throats. His body isn’t what it once was, so with the humidity of summer having passed, it suffers through a bit of an adjustment period. What’s most bothersome is that his eyes are already worn enough as is, and they’re better left unspelled when it isn’t necessary.

(“They aren’t 'old man glasses' just because you think that of yourself, Percy. They look lovely on you, I wish you’d wear them more often.”)

Then comes the cold, or rather the desire to stay under the covers. No one would say that he is lazy by any means, but when one’s bed is warmed by an excellent-quality duvet and another sleep-warm body, he cannot be blamed for an extra couple minutes burrowing into his pillow.

It’s also his joints, one in particular stiff and aching from when he slipped on some stairs last week. They healed his ankle and twisted knee, but advised that the softer tissues be made to recover naturally so he doesn’t lose their potential function at a quicker rate. (“You wouldn’t want to be apparating everywhere, would you, sir?”) Percival understood they meant he should be exercising more at his age to keep in physical shape. Magic has its limits pertaining to biology, after all.

Despite all this, there aren’t many complaints on his part even if he needs to battle the niffler every morning for his cane because of its gold handle, or walk some of the way to work even before the sun rises.

Autumn is a season of change as much as it is a change of seasons.

Newt burns with creative energy around this time and experiments endlessly with charms and potions for his creatures. After they began their relationship, however, Percival was naturally included as a test subject. He doesn’t mind because they’re harmless, for the most part, ultimately aiming to better Percival’s daily routine.

Coffee, for example, can make itself when Percival hasn’t the mind to do so manually and the spell will measure the exact amount of grounds based on the type and coarseness for a single, perfect cup. Being one of the most useful things for him, Percival had expressed intense gratitude and nearly promised forever at the time.

And it would have been fine if that’s all Newt ever did, but his lover somehow took an interest in the science of flavours on top of all the research he already does for his profession.

Now every fall since then, there’s a new flavour of coffee for Percival to try, and not all of them are successful.

Yet he hasn’t the heart to refuse the man because he knows it won’t last much longer, but also it’s one of the few activities they share before he leaves.

‘Season of change’ is when Newt departs on his travels to observe creature habits as they prepare for the coming winter. He visits whatever beasts that were released back into the wild along the way, and picks up even more that are in trouble. Notes are written for future books, friends are made, and animals are saved.

And Percival stays in the city.

Newt offers each time if he’d like to come along, to rest from work and see what changes take place in other parts of the world. Percival heard many stories over the years, of course, even experiencing a sample of it in the magical suitcase of various habitats. They stimulate his imagination and pique his curiosity, and take him away briefly from the stress and mundaneity of work responsibilities.

Still, he declines each time as the burden of an immense failure in the past remains in his heart, even as it lightens with time.

So he doesn’t comprehend why it bothers him that Newt hasn’t asked this year. Rationally, it’s understandable that multiple refusals of the same thing is an absolute answer and it had been a futile persistency on Newt’s part. But Percival watches Newt pack his luggage, conflicted, listening half-heartedly to the man enthuse over his plans for this trip. His face shows nothing of it, though, making sure of that.

They don’t engage in intimacy as Newt needs to leave early, but still lay awake with quiet conversation until Percival kisses him to sleep.

The sun is hours from rising when Percival escorts him to the port. His coat and scarf alone aren’t sufficient for warmth and so he casts a heat spell for them, but Newt presses close the whole way, anyway. There aren’t many there at this this hour and in the cover of pre-dawn, Percival lets himself kiss Newt goodbye and then wish him a safe journey.

They make the last call for passengers.

Newt doesn’t move, stands there with a contemplative look.

“Newt—”

“Will you come with me?” Newt blurts out, and it catches Percival’s breath. “Come and see what I’ve been telling you.”

There’s an automatic ‘no, it’s fine’, stuck in his throat—the throat that is sore from dryness and cold—trying to make its way to the tip of his tongue. Meanwhile, Newt never stops staring even though he’s always so prone to glancing away, and holds out a hand.

He’s utterly unprepared—nothing packed, office unnotified, inappropriately dressed.

_Season of change_, he thinks.

Percival licks at dry lips, swallows, and opens his mouth to say—

**Author's Note:**

> Yes? No? Maybe so? Also btw Newt already informed the dept Percival may or may not be taking a vacation v soon so no one's being irresponsible lol


End file.
